How to Remain Nimble Throughout Old Age
While proper nutrition is a powerful weapon against accelerated aging, movement is the key to staying physically and mentally fit, mobile, and independent.Editor's Note:Aging is a natural process, but it needn't be incapacitating. Did you know that more than 40 percent of Americans 75 years and older are entirely sedentary? These elders struggle to maintain their mobility, and as it wanes so does their independence—they develop increased reliance on caregivers for basic needs. Loss of independence can spiral into a loss of dignity and self-confidence, undermining their sense of self-worth. Mental disorders, such as depression, may arise with the realization they can no longer function at home or in society without the support of their families or others. As mobility declines, falls increase. Thirty-six million older adults take serious falls each year—many resulting in serious injuries and even death. Staying active is paramount for keeping nimble and maintaining quality of life. Fitness professional Cody Sipe explains in the following excerpt from his new book, "Quick Functional Exercises for Seniors," how we can beat accelerated aging and retain our mobility throughout our senior years. Keys to Functional Longevity I have studied what it takes to live a long, healthy, and functional life for the past thirty years of my professional career and, along the way, I have helped many others benefit from this simple conclusion—nothing rivals the importance of eating well and moving regularly for optimal aging. Both help to drastically reduce our chances of getting chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease (the world’s leading killer), Type 2 diabetes, dementia (including Alzheimer’s), stroke, hypertension, many forms of cancer, and osteoporosis. Either on their own are pretty powerful, but when you put the two of them together the results are even more dramatic! Would it amaze you to know that a properly designed intensive lifestyle modification program has been shown to actually reverse many of these conditions without the need for medications or surgeries? It is true, as it’s been verified by numerous highly controlled randomized research studies. Proper nutrition is indeed a powerful weapon against chronic disease and accelerated aging, but it cannot do for our bodies what movement can. While a balanced diet is essential for supplying all of the energy and vital nutrients our bodies require to be healthy, it is physical movement that utilizes that potential energy to grow our physical capabilities and enable us to do all of the things in life that we want to do. Regular movement allows our bodies to grow stronger and become faster. To have greater endurance. To become coordinated and skillful. To remain resilient during times of injury and illness. To achieve higher levels of physical abilities so we can perform difficult tasks with ease. Our bodies crave movement. We were designed for it and we need a lot of it if we are to avoid the perils typically associated with growing older. In fact, most of the physical and cognitive problems associated with getting older are not solely because people have gotten older. It’s because people have not moved enough and in the right ways over the course of their lifetime. Aging isn’t the real problem. Inactivity is. Why are some people in their 70s, 80s, 90s, and beyond able to climb mountains, surf, run marathons, travel the world, play sports, ski, swim, and all sorts of other challenging activities? It isn’t because they won the genetic lottery like many people believe. Genetics only account for about 20 percent of our health and longevity. The other 80 percent is due to our daily lifestyle choices and habits—such as how much we move and in what ways. Our bodies are “plastic,” meaning that they adapt to the challenges they are given. Stress bone, and it lays down more bone and becomes stronger. Stress muscles, and they lay down more protein to get bigger and stronger. Stress our cognitive capabilities, and they lay down new neural pathways to become more capable. This is the Principle of Adaptation at work and explains why physical movement is so important. In fact, movement is really the only way to create these kinds of beneficial adaptations. On the flip side, our bodies also adapt to a lack of movement. If our bones aren’t stressed, then they lose their density and become weaker, potentially leading to osteopenia and osteoporosis. When our muscles aren’t used, then they shrink and grow weaker, which can lead to frailty and disability as well as metabolic issues. So, adaptation is a two-way street which we can simply state as “use it or lose it.” Similarly, the process of aging is considered to be “plastic” as well. Although getting older is associated with a general decline in pretty much every bodily system, the good news is that the rate of decline can be modified and improved. This is because the rate of their decline is due to the simple principle of ad

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While proper nutrition is a powerful weapon against accelerated aging, movement is the key to staying physically and mentally fit, mobile, and independent.
Editor's Note:
Aging is a natural process, but it needn't be incapacitating. Did you know that more than 40 percent of Americans 75 years and older are entirely sedentary? These elders struggle to maintain their mobility, and as it wanes so does their independence—they develop increased reliance on caregivers for basic needs. Loss of independence can spiral into a loss of dignity and self-confidence, undermining their sense of self-worth. Mental disorders, such as depression, may arise with the realization they can no longer function at home or in society without the support of their families or others.
Keys to Functional Longevity
I have studied what it takes to live a long, healthy, and functional life for the past thirty years of my professional career and, along the way, I have helped many others benefit from this simple conclusion—nothing rivals the importance of eating well and moving regularly for optimal aging. Both help to drastically reduce our chances of getting chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease (the world’s leading killer), Type 2 diabetes, dementia (including Alzheimer’s), stroke, hypertension, many forms of cancer, and osteoporosis. Either on their own are pretty powerful, but when you put the two of them together the results are even more dramatic! Would it amaze you to know that a properly designed intensive lifestyle modification program has been shown to actually reverse many of these conditions without the need for medications or surgeries? It is true, as it’s been verified by numerous highly controlled randomized research studies.
Proper nutrition is indeed a powerful weapon against chronic disease and accelerated aging, but it cannot do for our bodies what movement can. While a balanced diet is essential for supplying all of the energy and vital nutrients our bodies require to be healthy, it is physical movement that utilizes that potential energy to grow our physical capabilities and enable us to do all of the things in life that we want to do.
Regular movement allows our bodies to grow stronger and become faster. To have greater endurance. To become coordinated and skillful. To remain resilient during times of injury and illness. To achieve higher levels of physical abilities so we can perform difficult tasks with ease. Our bodies crave movement. We were designed for it and we need a lot of it if we are to avoid the perils typically associated with growing older.
In fact, most of the physical and cognitive problems associated with getting older are not solely because people have gotten older. It’s because people have not moved enough and in the right ways over the course of their lifetime. Aging isn’t the real problem. Inactivity is. Why are some people in their 70s, 80s, 90s, and beyond able to climb mountains, surf, run marathons, travel the world, play sports, ski, swim, and all sorts of other challenging activities? It isn’t because they won the genetic lottery like many people believe. Genetics only account for about 20 percent of our health and longevity. The other 80 percent is due to our daily lifestyle choices and habits—such as how much we move and in what ways.
Our bodies are “plastic,” meaning that they adapt to the challenges they are given. Stress bone, and it lays down more bone and becomes stronger. Stress muscles, and they lay down more protein to get bigger and stronger. Stress our cognitive capabilities, and they lay down new neural pathways to become more capable. This is the Principle of Adaptation at work and explains why physical movement is so important. In fact, movement is really the only way to create these kinds of beneficial adaptations. On the flip side, our bodies also adapt to a lack of movement. If our bones aren’t stressed, then they lose their density and become weaker, potentially leading to osteopenia and osteoporosis. When our muscles aren’t used, then they shrink and grow weaker, which can lead to frailty and disability as well as metabolic issues. So, adaptation is a two-way street which we can simply state as “use it or lose it.”
Similarly, the process of aging is considered to be “plastic” as well. Although getting older is associated with a general decline in pretty much every bodily system, the good news is that the rate of decline can be modified and improved. This is because the rate of their decline is due to the simple principle of adaptation (“use it or lose it”). When you use these systems in a manner that challenges their capabilities, such as with movement, you not only improve them here and now but you actually slow down the aging process. Likewise, when you avoid movement challenges you allow the aging process to operate full-speed ahead.
This is the difference between what we might refer to as Primary (or Biological) Aging and Secondary (or Lifestyle) Aging. Primary aging occurs as part of the natural biological processes. We have been created to be born, develop/grow, reproduce, peak, decline, and eventually die. None of us will escape the ultimate end, but the speed at which we approach that end and the quality of our lives during the last third of life is largely up to us. And physical movement is one of the key differentiators between those who can take care of themselves and those who can’t. Those who can continue to do all of the things they love to do and those who have to give them up. Those who are eager to seek new adventures and experiences and those who know they wouldn’t be physically able to.
The impact of decades of suboptimal nutrition, not enough movement, lots of sitting, stress, busyness, and many other factors typically begin to take their toll on a person in their 40s and 50s. They start to gain weight and suffer from low levels of energy. Their blood pressure and cholesterol start to creep up, oftentimes requiring medication. They begin to experience some aches and pains in their joints. More strenuous activities that they could do in their 20s and 30s are now a little too much. Moderate activities are now more strenuous. “I’m just getting older,” they say. And because so many other people around them have similar experiences, they think it is normal. Then, in their 60s and 70s the rate of loss accelerates. Muscles shrink. Joints become tighter. Posture stoops. Balance worsens. Is this normal? Is it our destiny? As we have already discussed, the declines most people experience are due to a lack of movement.
Remember, the aging process is plastic just like our bodies and, although it may take a little more time and effort to make improvements compared to when we were younger, it is never too late to change your trajectory.
Exercises for Balance and Mobility

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Maintaining good balance is a critical component of aging well. Falls become an increasingly serious threat with advancing age. For people in their 70s and 80s, falls are a leading cause of serious injury (including hip fracture and traumatic head injury) and accidental death. They are also the number-one reason for nursing home admissions, with many never recovering afterwards. Good balance is also important for being able to do fun things in life such as hiking, traveling, dancing, playing on the playground with grandchildren, and participating in sports, to name a few.
Like everything else, if you don’t work on your balance, it will surely decline over time. Unfortunately, many people do not realize how poor their balance has gotten until they have to use it. I am often surprised by how many older adults I test who cannot even stand on one leg for longer than 5 to 10 seconds at a time. Or by how many grandparents I observe at their grandkids’ ballgames that are very unsteady on the bleachers.
4 Stage Balance
This is a progressive balance challenge that moves from easiest to most difficult. Start with the easiest position and when you can hold that position for 30 seconds or more move on to the next hardest position. Always stand close to a solid, stable object that you can use for balance if needed. It is good to practice this both with and without shoes.
- Stand with a good upright posture with arms crossed over your chest while looking straight ahead (it helps to focus on a solid object directly in front of you at eye height).
- Position 1: Place feet side-by-side so that heels and balls of the big toes touch.
- Position 2: Move one foot slightly forward so that the heel of the front foot touches the ball of the big toe of the back foot (called the “Semi-Tandem” position).
- Position 3: Place one foot directly in front of the other foot so that the heel of the front foot touches the toes of the back foot as if you were walking a tight rope (called the “Full Tandem” position).
- Position 4: Raise one foot off the ground so that it is beside, but not touching, the calf of the stance leg (called the “Single Leg Stance” position).
Tip: Use “Short Foot” to help you balance. Short Foot is a simple strategy that can improve your balance. Start by finding your foot “tripod” which is the heel, ball of the big toe, and ball of the pinky toe. Shift your weight around so that it is distributed equally between these three points of contact. Next, lift and spread your toes and firmly “grab” the floor with your toes (just like you would with your hand). When you do so you should feel the arch of your foot “lift”. Maintain this short foot position while you attempt the Four Stage Balance exercise. It is also helpful to use during squats and deadlifts.
Tandem Walk (Tightrope Walk)
- Start in a Full Tandem Position with one foot directly in front of the other, with the heel of the front foot touching the toes of the back foot.
- Walk forward by placing your back foot directly in front of your front foot so your heel touches your toes.
- Continue alternating feet.
- Try to look straight ahead at an object instead of looking down at your feet.
Tandem March
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Perform the Tandem Walk as described above but with each step, lift your knee in front of you (like you were marching) before placing it back down in front of the other.
Keys to Success
Physical movement, including formal exercise, is such a powerful stimulus for our bodies if we are willing to put in the time. The biggest improvements are seen in people who go from doing nothing to doing something, even if they are just following a mediocre program. But as soon as they stop doing it their results quickly diminish. To the contrary, you could have the greatest scientific minds in the world develop the optimal program for you but it won’t do you any good if you don’t follow the plan. Therefore, the first key to success is consistency. Commit to following the plan each and every day despite whatever else might be going on in your life—travel, special events, holidays, occupational duties, or the dreaded “I’m just not feeling it today.” Just show up each and every session you have scheduled. Of course, this means planning ahead and scheduling your sessions into your day just like any other important appointment and then commit to keeping that appointment. Then troubleshoot ahead of time so you don’t get in a jam. Going out of town? Where will you exercise? Hotel gym? Local gym? Outdoors? In your hotel room? Do you need to take equipment with you? What if it is too cold or too hot or too rainy? Overcoming situations like these will keep you consistent and will boost your internal commitment. Plus, you will feel really good about yourself. If you are having trouble staying consistent, then consider setting alarms, getting an accountability partner, working out with a spouse or friend, or getting a coach.
The second key to success is effort. Just like anything else in life, you will get out of exercise what you put into it. And for some it might take a great deal of effort to alter their current trajectory and secure a better future for themselves. There will be setbacks and obstacles to overcome. There will be times when you are tired or stressed and you just don’t want to push yourself.
The final key to success is a positive aging mindset. Mindset is everything. With the right mindset, you can overcome almost any problem, obstacle, or situation placed before you. However, a poor mindset can sabotage your efforts even before you begin. A positive aging mindset believes:
- You can be fit, healthy, and functional at any age.
- Age is not an excuse to be inactive or unhealthy.
- Growing older is a badge of honor because it means you have persevered so be proud of yourself.
- Most of the “problems” associated with getting older are really due to poor lifestyle choices.
- It’s never too late to make significant improvements in your health and fitness.
- You are only as old as you believe yourself to be.